|
Top Ag Commodities
 Agriculture Industry in Virginia |
| Commodity |
Cash Receipts (dollars) |
| 1 |
Chickens (broilers) |
506.2 million |
| 2 |
Beef (cattle/calves) |
426.1 million |
| 3 |
Milk (wholesale) |
266.2 million |
| 4 |
Turkeys |
260.7 million |
| 5 |
Greenhouse/Nursery |
237.4 million |
| 6 |
Equine* |
99.4 million |
| 7 |
Tomatoes |
98.7 million |
| 8 |
Soybeans |
86.4 million |
| 9 |
Corn for grain |
86.1 million |
| 10 |
Chicken eggs |
71.6 million |
| 11 |
Tobacco |
69.6 million |
| 12 |
Hogs |
66.8 million |
| 13 |
Hay |
43.6 million |
| 14 |
Cotton |
43.3 million |
| 15 |
Aquaculture |
41.5 million |
| 16 |
Wheat |
39.6 million |
| 17 |
Apples |
22.4 million |
| 18 |
Potatoes, summer |
21.4 million |
| 19 |
Snap beans |
9.5 million |
| 20 |
Grapes |
8.6 million |
| 21 |
Peanuts |
8.2 million |
| 22 |
Barley |
6.8 million |
| 23 |
Sweet corn |
5.5 million |
| 24 |
Watermelons |
4.0 million |
| 25 |
Peaches |
3.1 million |
Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service (2006 figures)
* according to 2001 Equine Report conducted by NASS |
| Percent of Income Spent on Food Consumed |
| Country |
% of Income |
| United States |
10 |
| Japan |
14 |
| France |
15 |
| China |
26 |
| Philippines |
38 |
| Indonesia |
55 |
| Of the 10 percent of disposable income Americans spend on food, an average of 5.8 percent is spend on food eaten at home and 4.1 percent is spend on food eaten away from home. |
| Old Dominion Agriculture |
Agriculture is Virginia’s largest and oldest industry. It’s been the backbone of the state economy for nearly four centuries.
|
| The average age of a Virginia farmer is 56.7 years. |
| The average farm generates $49,593 worth of sales. |
| The average size of a Virginia farm is 181 acres. |
| The average acre value of farmland and buildings is $2,675. |
Virginia boasts 47,600 farms, which cover approximately
8.6 million acres. |
| Source: 2002 Census of Agriculture |
| Ag Across America |
| Agriculture is the nation’s largest employer, with more than 22 million people working in some phase—from growing food and fiber, to selling it at the supermarket. |
| There are 2,128,982 farms in the United States. That is the lowest number of farms since before the Civil War. |
| Total land in farms was estimated at 938 million acres in 2002, compared with 1.01 billion acres in 1978. |
| Crops were harvested from nearly 303 million acres in 2002. The remaining farmland was used for grazing, timber and other agricultural uses. |
| The average size of U.S. farms in 2002 was 441 acres, compared to 491 acres in 1992 and 449 acres in 1978. |
| Source: 2002 Census of Agriculture |
| Today's Farmer |
| Today, each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber for 143 people in the United States and abroad. |
| About 98 percent of all U.S. farms are owned by individuals, family partnerships or family corporations. Just 2 percent of America’s farms and ranches are owned by non-family corporations. |
| There are 3,115,172 U.S. farm operators. The average farmer is 55 years old. |
| Farmers, ranchers and other landowners have installed 1.54 million miles of conservation buffers under a USDA initiative. Agricultural producers who install buffers improve soil, air and water quality; enhance wildlife habitat; and create scenic landscapes. |
| Farmers and ranchers only receive 19 cents out of every retail dollar spent on food. In 1980, they received 31 cents out of every retail dollar spent on food. |
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